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Real Madrid extends contract with defender Ramos

Xinhua, August 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Real Madrid and central defender Sergio Ramos have reportedly reached an agreement over the extension of the defenders contract to end a summer of tough negotiations, according to reports in the Spanish media.

Ramos and the club have reportedly signed an accord which will keep him at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium until the end of June 2020, three years longer than his previous deal, which was due to expire in 2017.

In exchange, the 29-year-old Ramos will see his salary increased to around 9 million euros a year (10 million US dollars).

The agreement brings the curtain down on what has been a long summer of negotiation which saw Ramos apparently on the verge of a move to Manchester United, after he asked Real Madrid for a transfer, while Manchester United also made a firm offer for the player, who they had targeted to give solidity to what still looks like a fragile defense.

The move had two main problems: Real Madrid President, Florentino Perez was reluctant to see a key player and fans favorite leave the club in the wake of the shabby way his club had treated the departure of Iker Casillas to Porto, while Madrid were unwilling to include Ramos, who has made almost 450 appearances for the club, in any deal to sign Manchester United goalkeeper, David de Gea.

As things stand, Real Madrid and Ramos have both got what they probably wanted from the start, Ramos will stay at the club and enjoy a considerable pay rise, while Real Madrid have assured a key member of the side and an important voice in the dressing room for a further five seasons.

The deal is likely to be confirmed to the fans in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Monday night ahead of the Santiago Bernabeu trophy game against Turkish side, Galatasaray.

Manchester United will no doubt feel as if they have been used by Ramos and his representatives after being led to believe a move was possible and they will now look elsewhere for a new central defender with Valencia stopper Nicolas Otamendi a possible target. Endi